Blazor Framework

Blazor is a free and open-source web framework that enables developers to create interactive client-side web UIs with .NET and C#. Blazor can run in two main hosting models: Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly.

Introduction

Blazor allows you to build modern, interactive web applications using C# instead of JavaScript. This means you can leverage your existing .NET skills and the vast .NET ecosystem to create rich user interfaces. Whether you're building single-page applications (SPAs) or full-stack web applications, Blazor provides a robust and efficient solution.

Getting Started

To get started with Blazor, you'll need the .NET SDK installed. You can create a new Blazor project using the .NET CLI:

dotnet new blazorwasm -o MyBlazorApp
cd MyBlazorApp
dotnet run

This command creates a new Blazor WebAssembly project. For Blazor Server, use dotnet new blazorserver -o MyBlazorServerApp.

Blazor WebAssembly

Blazor WebAssembly runs your C# code directly in the browser using WebAssembly. This model offers excellent performance and allows for offline applications as all code is downloaded to the client.

Blazor Server

Blazor Server runs your C# code on the server and uses SignalR to update the DOM in the browser. This model requires a constant connection to the server but reduces the initial download size and keeps your application logic on the server.

Core Concepts

Components

Blazor applications are built using components. Components are self-contained pieces of UI logic and markup, written in Razor syntax (.razor files). Each component encapsulates its own rendering logic and can have its own state.

A simple Blazor component:

<h1>Hello, Blazor!</h1>

@code {
    // C# code for the component
}

Routing

Blazor supports client-side routing. You can define routes for your components using the @page directive:

@page "/about"

<h1>About Us</h1>
<p>Learn more about our Blazor journey.</p>

Data Binding

Blazor simplifies data binding, allowing you to synchronize data between your UI and your C# code. You can use one-way or two-way data binding.

<input type="text" @bind="Name" />
<p>Hello, @Name!</p>

@code {
    public string Name { get; set; } = "World";
}

Event Handling

Handling user interactions is straightforward. You can bind C# methods to UI events:

<button class="btn btn-primary" @onclick="IncrementCount">Click Me</button>
<p>Current count: @currentCount</p>

@code {
    private int currentCount = 0;

    private void IncrementCount()
    {
        currentCount++;
    }
}

Dependency Injection

Blazor has built-in support for dependency injection, making it easy to manage services and their lifetimes within your application.

Deployment

Blazor applications can be deployed to various hosting environments, including Azure, IIS, and self-hosted servers. The deployment strategy depends on the chosen hosting model (Blazor Server or Blazor WebAssembly).

Advanced Topics

Tip: Explore the official Microsoft Blazor documentation for in-depth guides and API references.